Rockets suspend Royce White indefinitely

Royce White’s NBA career moved a step closer Sunday to ending before it ever begins.

The gulf between the Rockets and White might not have grown any larger than the divide that has kept him off the court. But with the Rockets’ move to suspend him Sunday, there is no end in sight to an impasse much more complicated than White, 21, has revealed.

One week after White said he would refuse his assignment to the Rockets’ NBA Development League team, the club suspended the 6-8 forward for an indefinite period without pay.

“The Houston Rockets have suspended Royce White effective immediately for refusing to provide services as required by his Uniform Player Contract,” general manager Daryl Morey said in a statement. “We will continue to work with Royce to hopefully come to a resolution.”

NBA player contracts include services all players are required to provide, with fines or suspensions permitted for breach of the contract. Players’ association representatives said they are monitoring the situation. NBA and Rockets officials declined comment.

Left team Nov. 12
White, the 16th pick of last summer’s NBA draft, has not played this season. He attended the first five games but left the team Nov. 12, citing what he called inconsistent support as he manages his anxiety disorder.

White has said the Rockets have failed to adhere to doctors’ recommendations to provide a safe workplace for him and said it is likely he will never play in the NBA. He said he will not play or practice for the Rockets or Rio Grande Valley Vipers until the Rockets accept “protocols” for his treatment.

Contract issue
But the impasse is more complicated than that. According to a person with knowledge of the talks between White and the team, White has refused to play or practice until the Rockets agree in writing to an addendum to his contract that he has written. That kind of addition to a player contract would conflict with the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement with the players’ association.

Though White has not publicly specified the conditions he would need to practice or play, he has indicated through his tweets he wants players to be able to choose the doctors who would then be given the authority to determine players’ work environment and expectations. If the Rockets agreed to that in writing, it would violate the CBA.

The Rockets have told White and his agent, Andrew Vye, that they want to work with him on a plan he can accept. They have maintained in conversations with White that they have worked with doctors who do not insist, as White has maintained in statements and on Twitter, that doctors should have authority to determine White’s work requirements.

Protocol demand
“Again the @HoustonRockets management has gone against what THEIR OWN docs have declared & their own words,” White wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “Not refusing #DLeague I’m refusing to work, AT ALL, until a protocol is put in that ensures#safety. Doctors should make medical decisions.”

But the demand for a contract addendum is similar to the issues that kept White from attending training camp. The Rockets had agreed to his request to travel on his own to as many road games and practices as possible. But in the days before the start of camp in McAllen, White, who doesn’t like to fly, wanted the agreement in writing.

The Rockets agreed to the travel plan and to pay for an RV and drivers. White attended the Rockets’ first three road games in Detroit, Atlanta and Memphis, along with a practice in Atlanta. He has said since his travel situation is not an issue.

Days later, White left before a home game with a migraine. He left the team nearly two months ago, citing inconsistent support from the Rockets.

Repeated fines
He has been fined often since, initially for failing to see the doctor the Rockets arranged for him and also for missing some conditioning sessions.

White has since maintained that his dispute with the Rockets is not about the D-League assignment. But according to an individual with knowledge of their talks, he has told the Rockets he would not accept an assignment to the Vipers.

In an interview this week with SiriusXM radio, White said he might never play in the NBA.

“I think that the chances are very high,” he said. “Business in America, as we all know, is about one thing, and that’s convenience and efficiency. And oftentimes what the efficient thing to do is not the healthiest thing to do, right?

“It wouldn’t shock me if we couldn’t be logical and say a protocol is needed, because it’ll be the hard thing to do. If that’s the case, then so be it. I stand on what I say, and I refuse to put myself in a hazardous situation to play a sport.”

McHale’s concern
Asked how significant a setback White’s time off the floor and refusal to accept the D-League assignment might be, coach Kevin McHale said: “I have no idea. I’m worried about the guys who are here. If he’s here, I’ll worry about him.”